Former China Telecom boss to face prosecution for graft

Chang, who was put under investigation in December, used his position to assist relatives and gain influence, while accepting property and bribes, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement on its website.Reuters | July 11, 2016, 18:17 IST

BEIJING: Chang Xiaobing, the former chief executive and chairman of China Telecom Corp, has been expelled from China's Communist Party and will face prosecution, the Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog announced on Monday.

Chang, who was put under investigation in December, used his position to assist relatives and gain influence, while accepting property and bribes, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement on its website.

His case has been handed over to the legal authorities, it added, meaning he will face prosecution.

In December, state-owned China Telecom Corp announced that Chang had resigned, just days after authorities said he was being investigated for alleged disciplinary violations.

Chang was chairman of China Unicom before becoming China Telecom chairman. China Unicom and China Telecom are two of the country's top three telecom services providers.

It was not possible to reach Chang for comment. It is not clear whether he has retained a lawyer.

China Telecom and China Unicom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

President Xi Jinping has implemented a crackdown on graft that has ensnared leading politicians, state enterprise bosses and senior bankers. (Reporting By Matthew Miller; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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